Clandestine
by Annilaia
Summary: Edward, home for the summer takes a job teaching piano to a young Swan girl. When he falls in love for the oldest Swan daughter, Edward has to keep their relationship a secret, as he deals with his Mother, his cousin, and how much in love he is with Bella
1. Chapter One: Home

**This was originally called Untitled. It's a story that I think will be really good. It takes place during the summer, and maybe would be better if I wrote during the summer, but who cares! It's starting to feel like summer here. I think it has big potential. It's going to be quite longish, too! If I can manage to put in what I want to put in.**

**I don't remember how it was inspired, but I am excited for it! **

**It's All Human, since I can't seem to get off the band wagon.  
****Enjoy!**

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Clandestine

**Chapter One: Home**

Growing up in a small town left me with big dreams. Since I was young, I'd dreamt of being the best concert pianist I could be- and I was actually well on my way.

I'd been offered scholarships everywhere, for my academics and my compositions. Mother couldn't be prouder of her boy genious, and she took the opportunity to show me off whenever she could.

That was the main reason I chose to go to school as far away as possible. I only ever came home to play for mothers' christmas and thanksgiving partys.

I found myself at the end of my sophomore year, on a plane back to Seattle for the summer. As I stared out the window at the fluffy clouds, growing thicker and grayer with every mile gained towards home, I had this overwhelming sense of dread.

What would I do cooped up in Forks for three months? How was I going to be able to stand my mother's garden parties and evening parties and every other kind of party imaginable?

No doubt she'd attempt to match me up with some girl she knew. Some upper class, high-strung snob of a woman, and attempt to convince me we were a perfect match.

My mother was as old fashioned as they come, I decided, as I slipped into the car she'd sent for me. She couldn't even come herself to pick up her eldest child.

The music did little to settle me as I drove past the 'Welcome to Forks' sign. Here, the clouds were a little more dense, nearly black with the weight of ther water.

I drove by all the familiar streets, the tiny rural avenues filled with colourful, small houses. I smiled with nostalgia, cruising by a convenience store, my old highschool.

Then, I turned down a lonely steet, hidden with trees, covered in their foliage. Bright, vibrant green. My mother's house was there, obnoxiously displayed with its huge lawn reaching down to the road, giant bushes and the flower beds. White, with yellow trim.

I pulled up the cobblestone driveway, stopping behind my cousins expensive new car.

I didn't move.

Instead, I breathed in and out, as if calming myself would somehow reduce this seasonal sentence. I threw open the door, stepped outside and wrestled my suitcases out of the trunk.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, I thought as I saw my parents rush outside to meet me, elation written all over their faces. Maybe, for the most part, I'd be right.

"Edward, I'm so happy you're home!" Mother squealed, throwing her arms around my shoulder. "Just wait until Alice sees you - she's been so excited!" I grinned. My cousin Alice was my twin soul in this world. She was the only peron I could really put up with for any length of time.

"Edward!" I heard another voice yell. I looked past my parents to see my younger brother running towards me. I bent down and let him run int my arms. At thirteen, Emmett was a big kid. Tall, I mean, and he played so many sports his muscles were starting to grow, too.

"Hey, Em!" I exclaimed. "How've you been?"

"Awesome!" he yelled. "I got on the soccer team! Do you wanna play later?"

I grinned. "Sure thing, guy, just give me a chance to settle down, first." He grinned and ran around the house into the backyard. I looked up into the third floor window and saw Alice peering out behind the curtain. She smiled and waved at me softly, and I waved back with as much energy as I could. She smiled wider and disappeared from the window.

"It's so good to have you home," my mother sighed, pulling me into another hug. I smiled and placed my hand on her back as I walked with her up to the door.

The inside of the house was the same, just as familliar and stuffy and uncomfortable as it had been when I left. The living rooms that you don't actually use, the dining rooms you used once a year; they were all there. All as pristine as when I left. I hurried up the stairs before my mother could say anything else to me.

My room was waiting, at the end of the hallway on the third floor. I made a dash to it, the wheels on my suitcases rumbling along the hardwood floors and expensive rugs. Alice's room was adjacent to it, so I waved at her while I pushed open the door and fell inside.

The fresh smell of my bedroom. The window had been left open to air it out. I hadn't been home in a couple months now. But it was so good to be here, back in my own bed. I left the suitcases by the door, and slumped onto the mattress, the comfortable blankets so soft around me. I sunk into the duvet, breathed in the summer fresh scent.

"Hello, stranger," a soft voice said from my doorway. I leaned up, creating five chins, I'm sure as I looked at Alice. She was leaning in the doorway, the sleeves of her sweater pulled down over her hands. "I've missed you." I sat up straighter and held my arms out to her, smiling widely. Alice danced towards me and leaned down, wrapping her arms tightly around me, squeezing me to her. "God, I missed you..." she murmured.

"I'm sorry. Has it been bad?" I asked. Two reasons I asked. Alice's parents died when she was a baby, so she'd been living with us ever since. And, Alice was having a bit of trouble with a special talent of hers, one that my mother never wanted to hear of. She smiled and wiped at the tears on her cheeks.

"Not too bad. I haven't had very many. When I have had them, I've been up here. I stay up here a lot lately." She sat down next to me and I rubbed her back. She stared down at the floor. I noticed she was wearing black sweatpants and a grey knit sweater. Alice was very fashionable. And, since hearing of the story of her parents for the first time, she'd taken to using clothes as a sort of mood indicator, so I knew today was not a good day. She was a year younger than me, but more like my twin sister than anything.

"What have the visions been about?" I asked softly, so that no one would hear.

"Me and you, mostly."

"Anything bad?" She smiled.

"Definitely not. It's not us _together_, it's us, separate, with other people. I think, they're really important people to us."

"Who would that be?" I wondered out loud.

"I don't think we've met them yet," she mumbled. The two of us were quiet, staring ahead. My mother's voice echoed through the house, calling me downstairs. I sighed and Alice giggled. "Let's just go," she said sweetly. The two of us hurried down the stairs before she could yell any louder.

"Edward honey," Mother called from the kitchen. "I'd like to talk to you. Alice, could you set the table for me, dear?" Alice nodded and picked up the cutlery and plates, giving me a look with her eyes that meant that I was in for some sort of news.

I stood against a counter, staring at my mother's hands stirring a pot of sauce, waiting for her to say what she wanted to say. "I've found you a job for the summer," she finally said, softly.

"What?!" It was out of my mouth louder than I could imagine, before I could really think. "Why do I need to work?!" I exclaimed. Alice poked her head in from the dining room.

"Edward, calm yourself," Mother said softly, reaching into the fridge. "You'll be a piano teacher, it's not far away, and it's only for a few hours every day. You remember Marie Swan?" I vaguely remembered an older woman that Mother loved to gossip about. "Her youngest daughter wants to learn, and she's willing to pay you a very reasonable sum."

"But Mother, the _Swans?_" I whined. "You hate them!"

She turned and glared at me. "Yes, well, it's not like I'm sending you off to marry the girl! For goodness sake's Edward, she's in Emmett's class. Just go over there, and teach her how to play the piano. It'll be good for your savings." I'm not sure if you realise, that being home for the summer, to me, meant not working. It meant relaxing, finding someone I'd be interested in- even in the small town of Forks. And, it meant relaxing, not teaching some spoiled rich girl how to play the piano.

"Mother, why did you have to agree to this?" I whined as I followed her into the dining room, carrying a pot full of food. "I really do _not_ want to teach anyone this summer." She turned to me, her look one that would kill.

"Edward, I will not hear anymore of this. You are driving to the Swan's house tomorrow, and you are teaching that girl how to play the piano, do you understand?" I nodded. It was pointless to try and fight with her. I opened the glass door leading outside to call Emmett indoors and we sat down around the table, dishing up our plates as I tried to control the rage inside of me. I was clenching my teeth so tightly, I was going to get a headache.

Mother looked furious, glancing at me every now and then, as if daring me to fight with her. I looked over at Alice who had a smug grin on her face. When she caught my eye, it widened and she winked. It made me wonder, what exactly was going to happen tomorrow.

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**Go read the others now, or vote! Review, and let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter Two: Attraction

**I AM ILL!**

**I had hay fever yesterday while I worked a full shift at work, which SUCKED, and it has now evolved into a head cold D:**

**But, yesterday morning while I was feeling sick, and last night and today, I decided to type this up for you! I had most of it written on paper, from me scribbling it out during work :)**

**So, here it is, chapter two of the first story I thought of, even before Stuck! Tube, the Lighthouse, all of them!**

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**Chapter Two: Attraction**

I woke up to the muted light filtering through my plastic venetian blinds and the sheer white curtains. I rolled over and clutched the pillow, my t shirt riding up my stomach and my legs sticking from under my blankets. There was a soft, hesitant knock at the door.

"Come in," I groaned. I looked over my summer to see Alice peeking in the doorway before opening the door. I sat up immediately when I saw it was her and tried to rub the sleep from my eyes. She seemed to be feeling a little better. She was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans, though she still had on the thick woollen socks over them. She wore a long sleeved knit black shirt, with a black hoody she left unzipped. I smiled at her and held open my arms.

"Good morning," she murmured as I held her.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"A little better. It's good you're here, I'll be able to handle things a bit better now." I smiled and nodded. "Your mother said that Mrs. Swan would like to meet you today, and since you've slept through the entire morning, it's almost time for you to go." I smiled and thanked her, but noticed that her face was shadowed with some sort of sadness. I poked her side and grinned.

"Do you want to pick out my clothes?" I asked. A grin brightened up her face and she nodded as she jogged to my closet. I stood and stretched, cracking my back lightly before Alice reappeared. She only had a simple pair of black pants and a blue button up shirt, but I was glad she had done it.

"I think you'll look very good and business like in this," she said with a smile. "Come see me before you leave, please?" I nodded, shot her a thumbs up and closed the door behind her.

I finished changing and pulled on a pair of black shoes before giving Alice a high five in the hallway and heading out to my car.

The drive to the Swans' house left me with nothing but my thoughts. I still didn't know what to make of this new job. The day was warm, but not the thick warmth of humidity, surprisingly. It _was_ misting and overcast, making everything more vibrantly green than it had been.

I found their house across town, tucked away into a street full of cozy houses with lush gardens. The Swan house obviously had money. From the street, you could barely see the house through the tall, leafy trees. Once you'd stepped into the garden you were met with a two storey, pale blue house, complete with shutters and window boxes. There were elaborate gardens in front of the house, their colourful flowers in bloom. I stood back and studied it all after I knocked on the door.

I could barely hear the quiet padding of feet over the sound of the birds chirpping. But, when the door opened I gave that person my fullest attention.

She was beautiful.

Dark brown eye, wavy dark hair, and the most perfect, palest skin. She was wearing a white cotton dress and her feet were bare.

"H... hello!" I stammered, holding out my hand. "I'm Edward Masen." She smiled shyly at me and shook my hand.

" The piano teacher," she affirmed. _God_, her voice was beautiful. "Please, come in. We've been expecting you." I felt my cheeks warm up. My reaction to her was something completely new. I kept my eyes on her as I passed, noticing hers stare down at her feet. She was chewing on her luscious full bottom lip.

"Grandma is here in the sitting room with Rosalie," she said softly, leading me down the hallway. I'll admit I felt a little twinge of sadness over the fact that this wasn't the Swan girl I was teaching, but at least if I was coming here I could see her from time to time.

The sitting room was small, a large couch and a few elustriously decorated arm chairs sat atop a patterened rug, an old wooden coffee table in the middle. An old woman and a young, pretty blonde girl sat on the couch. The woman was wearing deep purple pants and a shirt, golden necklaces aplenty around her neck. Her hands and wrists were also thickly jeweled, her eyes tiny behind the large glasses. Her hair was snow white, though kept neatly in a wavy bob around her head.

"Hello Mrs. Swan," I greeted, holding out my hand and sitting in an armchair. She shook it lightly, her hard expression never changing.

"Hello Mr. Masen. It's so good to see you, and I am glad you decided to teach our young Rosalie here." I looked ot the girl in the red dress. She seemed to be about the same age as Emmett, but didn't look pleased to see me.

I was about to tell her it was my pleasure when she cut me off. "If you'd please, Mr. Masen, I'd like to get straight to business." I nodded. The brown haired girl entered the room again, placing mugs of tea in front of Rosalie and her grandmother, and a coffee for me.

"You will teach Rosalie everyday, from five 'til eight. That is when I am gone to the club with my friends, so you won't be disturbing me with thatnoise." My eyebrows rose in surprise.

"I'm sure you can play beautifully, Mr. Masen, but I would really rather not listen to Rosalie as she learns. The girl does not know two things about music." I looked up at the young girl who was staring down into her lap, her cheeks a bright red. She peeked up at me, her head still bowed, and I smiled at her reassuringly. Mrs. Swan began speaking about payment but I tuned her out, instead I began staring at the brown haired Swan girl who was answering a phone in the hall way. Her voice traveled lightly and I felt my heart beat quickening at the sound.

"Does that sound fair to you, Mr. Masen?" I looked back to Mrs. Swan and smiled, nodding. I hadn't a clue as to what she was talking about. "Good. I will write you a cheque each friday, since lessons won't be necessary on the weekends."

"I'm sory, Grandma, I don't mean to interupt but there is an important phone cal for you," the older girl said, walking to stand in front of me. She drew my eyes to her immesiately.

"Excuse me for a moment, Mr. Masen, thank you, Isabella." she stood stiffly and hobbled away to the phone. I watched Isabella as she sat next to Rosalie, smiling warmly at her and running a hand down her hair to rest at her back.

"That was Jasper," Isabella said softly. I noticed Rosalie's face perk up immediately. "He'll be moving home in a few weeks, isn't that wonderful?"

"Who's Jasper?" I asked curiously, trying to ignore the pang of jealousy that went through me. Her face lit up so much at the mention of him.

"Our older brother," Rosalie said proudly, the firs thing I had heard her said. I smiled warmly at her. "He's been away at school."

"I apologise once again," Mrs. Swan said upon reentering the room. Her face looked anything _but_ apologetic. "Do you have any questions?"

"No," I replied, standing when I realised she was intending for me to leave. "I think we've covered it all." I tried to smile at her again, but her seriousness was rubbing off.

"Very well. Isabella, show him the door. And Rosalie will see you tomorrow evening." I nodded and followed the beautiful Swan out of the sitting room.

She walked with me to the door and opened it, still looking downat her feet. I frowned. I was so attracted to this girl already, I didn't think she should be staring at the ground like that.

"Thank you, Isabella," I said, hoping to draw her attention upwards. She glanced up at me and caught my eyes, and we both started staring. I noticed a pink tinge to her cheeks as she blushed, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I found it beautiful.

"Call me Bella," she said quietly. A grin broke out over my face at the words.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I told her. Nothing was going to keep me away if I could see her again.

I drove back home in a daze, barely listening to the music that was filtering through my speakers. Images of the beautiful Bella Swan swam through my head, and I had no idea why. I'd never reacted to someone like this before. Sure, I had dated in high school and college, but none of it was too serious, which was what I was looking for. But Bella...

I had an undeniable attraction to this girl that I absolutely did not know, and Alice knew something was up.

"How did the meeting go?" she asked me when I walked back inside. My parents still weren't home, and she was sitting on the back deck, curled into a hammock with a book in her lap. I shrugged and sat in a wicker chair adjacent to her.

"Pretty good. I got to meet everyone, and I'll be starting the lessons tomorrow." Alice nodded, but I saw a small grin pulling at her lips.

"What? Why are you smiling like that, what did you see?" I asked. Her grin grew wider.

"I saw a girl," she whispered. My eyes widened. "A beautiful, shy girl with long brown hair, and you were standing next to her smiling." Was she talking about Bella?" I opened my mouth to ask her more, but the wind was pushed out of me with a loud 'oof!'

I looked down into my lap to see a soccer ball, and my younger brother in the middle of the lawn laughing at me.

"I guess this game has been overdue," I mumbled, kicking the ball back out to him, only to have him bounce it off his head before juggling it in his knees. I squeezed Alice's hand to let her know I wanted to talk more, later, before running out into the backyard to my laughing brother.

Right now, in this moment, everything was as it should always have been. My cousin smiling, and her heart at ease, and my brother with someone to admire. Me, my thoughts traveled to a beautiful girl.

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**Review, and let me know what you think!**

**I posted a new rant on my Livejournal, and I fixed up a couple of things on my profile. I'll need to add summaries of the new stories. Next should be an update of Camarilla and The Lighthouse, and eventually of A&E!**


	3. Chapter Three: Dill Pickle

** Sorry for the delay! Things have been sort of hectic.**

**THIS CHAPTER IS A BIRTHDAY GIFT TO ANGCULL008 WHO TURNS EIGHTEEN TODAY AND IS NOW FOREVER OLDER THAN EDWARD CULLEN. CHEERS.**

**Also, I really really liked Breaking Dawn, and that's all I will say, unless you ask for discussion. When I stop and think about it, everything makes sense and I DO HAVE EXCELLENT ARGUEMENTS TOWARDS THE PEOPLE WHO DISLIKE IT. But I shall be kind.**

**Also, to answer a common question, the time period is modern times, but they seem like they're acting older... because it's sort of the high society politics type thing you see in movies. which sounds really lame, but that's how it is.**

**Ask me questions for this chapter only and I'll answer them all next chapter!**

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**Chapter Three: Dill Pickle**

"Edward," a voice called, waking me out of my deep sleep, filled with dreams of a brown haired girl. There was something bouncing on my bed, shaking me awake. I kicked my legs around, hoping to knock it away and pushed my face further into the pillow.

"Ow!" it cried. "Edward! Wake up! You promised." I let out an exasperated sigh and opened one eye to peek over my shoulder at my brother. Emmett was sitting on his knees next to me, his face screwed up in anger.

"You said you'd play soccer with me," he grumbled. I let out a loud groan and Emmett laughed, rolling off the bed. He was already dressed, ready to go. It wasn't even ten yet.

"Emmett, I played with you yesterday," I mumbled, my arm over my face.

"Yeah, but I want a rematch," he insisted. I stretched out and froze, the whole room became quiet before I jumped up and frightened Emmett, making him jump and yell and I chased him out of the room.

"I'll be down when I get dressed," I called down the hallway.

"Thank you, Edward!" Emmett yelled back. I pushed my hair from my eyes as I rubbed the sleep from them and absentmindedly pulled on an old t shirt and some shorts. My appearance wasn't a big deal this morning, I'd worry more about that when I headed to the Swan's tonight.

Alice was bustling around the kitchen, dressed in a black peasant skirt and a burgundy sleeveless shirt. Her arms and legs were bare as she padded around barefoot. This was a big improvement. She turned to look at me when I walked through the kitchen heading for the back yard and smiled. Emmett was outside, already juggling the ball.

"Alright kid, time for me to whoop your ass, it seems," Emmett laughed and started running towards the place we'd designated as my goal. I raced to catch up with him.

Playing without goalies was Emmett's idea, and quite an interesting one. Though, it did give me the extra work out I needed.

"So Emmett," I said during our face off, of sorts. "Any girls catch your eyes this year?" I saw a hint of redness burst onto his cheeks and I quickly kicked the ball away from him, running as fast as I could towards his goal. I aimed the shot, straight through the two birch trees, but he still surprised me, jumping up and barely catching the ball in his hands before falling to the ground.

"Time!" Alice called from out the kitchen door. "Emmett wins! Come and get your breakfast!" Emmett was all smiles as he walked up next to me. Both of our clothes were grass stained and dirtied. Mother was sure be to mad- if she even bothered to go near the laundry room.

"So about that girl?" I asked him quietly as we walked through the back yard together. I saw the blush burst on his cheeks again and couldn't hide my grin.

"She was new this year. Her name's Rosalie Swan," he murmured. I nodded.

"I'm teaching her the piano," I informed him. His eyes lit up.

"Isn't she great?!" he exclaimed. "She's so pretty- and so smart. I think she's awesome…" Emmett looked so happy speaking of her. I couldn't help but smile. "Anyway. She's really new, she transferred a few months ago because her parents died, I think. So now, she lives with her grandmother and she doesn't really have that many friends. She seems pretty shy. I guess you can't blame her though…"

"So have you tried to be her friend?" I asked. Emmett's cheeks flared again.

"Well, I want to, but my friends would probably tease me, and I'm too afraid to talk to her," he mumbled.

We sat at the kitchen island and Alice served us up plates of French toast before sitting across from us.

"Well Em," I said while cutting up my food. "Maybe the best thing you should do is talk to her. I'm sure Rosalie would like to have some friends. It'll be better for both of you if you're a little brave." He seemed to think it over seriously while he chewed and then nodded determinedly, taking his next bite.

"What are your plans for today, Edward?" Alice asked as she slowly and carefully cut her food. I shrugged.

"I suppose I'll do whatever errands are asked for me, but until five this evening I have no plans, really." Alice nodded. "I believe you and I need to have a conversation, though," I murmured. Alice grinned widely but didn't look up to meet my eyes.

Emmett had finished his breakfast in a flash and hopped into the laundry room where he pulled on a pair of jeans and a white t shirt, throwing his dirtied clothes into a hamper.

"Have a nice day," Alice called to him, and I watched in shock as he picked up his book bag and sneakers and headed out the door.

I turned to Alice wide eyed. "What," she shrugged. "Just because we're finished college doesn't mean he's finished either. He's still got a moth and a half left, Edward. It's Monday, too, in case you've forgotten."

"No," I whispered. "It's not that. Why did he have to get me up so early?!" Alice giggled. "I can't even believe this. Half the town is still asleep and he wakes me up to play soccer. I'm going back to bed." Alice rolled her eyes and watched as I stumbled back over the stairs.

In my room I pulled off my grass stained clothes and grabbed a book I'd started on the plane ride home. I managed to make my way through a few chapters, but when I heard my mother speaking far too loudly at Alice downstairs I threw my arm over my eyes and sighed. It wasn't hard to feel the heaviness in my lids then, and I barely felt Alice curl up next to me before we both fell asleep.

I woke up a few hours later, closer to lunch time than breakfast, which made me happy. Alice was still curled into a ball on my side, but I could tell she was awake.

"I'm sorry," I murmured. I knew my mother must have said something to hurt her that would make her come to me. Mother didn't dare say anything to Alice in my presence. I was the only one to stand up to her.

"Why do I seem like such a freak to her all the time," Alice mumbled, facing the wall. "I didn't even say anything to her, I was washing the dishes. 'I suppose you're trying to magick them clean. Seeing the future won't help you with your chores.'"

My anger at my mother only grew as Alice sneered out her encounter.

"Do you want to go for a drive?" I asked her quietly. She nodded and after a moment pushed herself off of the bed and through my door. I sat up and pulled on my shoes, grabbing my car keys off the dresser and heading downstairs.

"Edward?" my mother called from the sitting room.

"Yes?" I asked, standing still in the hallway, staring at the floor.

"Where are you going?" she asked in an accusing tone.

"Alice and I are going out for a bit." I could hear her shuffling. Wrong answer.

"I'd like you to come with me next week to a brunch," was my punishment. "I'm meeting a friend of mind, and I'd like you to meet her daughter. Heaven knows it's time you met a girl."

I already have, was running through my head, but that was a worse answer. "Alright," I told her, then hurried out the door behind Alice.

"Where do you want to go?" I asked her, backing down the driveway. She shrugged, hugging her arms. I brought us out on the highway and drove as far as I felt, as fast as I dared going. Alice was quiet, staring out the window until I decided to turn and head back to Forks.

"I wish we could leave and live somewhere else," Alice said quietly, lifting her head from the glass. She still didn't meet my eyes, stared ahead of her instead. "Me and you and Emmett. Just leave that house." I nodded. I'd love nothing more than to take my brother and keep us all away from my Mother's high society life.

"Can we stop by the Thriftway?" Alice asked quietly.

"Sure," I said with a smile and turned into town, heading down the main street.

"Come with me," she said, grabbing my hand and dragging me quickly inside the store. I noticed the smile on her face. She marched me down the frozen food section and quickly turned into the next aisle, the chips and pop, junk food aisle.

"This is where I'll meet him," she said determinedly, standing in front of a display of dill pickle Lays chips. I made a face at the flavor and Alice smiled brightly. "This is where I'll meet the man in my visions."

"Yeah?" I asked her with a small grin. "He shares the same ridiculous taste in chips as you?" Alice punched my arm lightly but we both laughed. "What about me? Where do I meet this girl you've apparently seen for me."

Alice grinned, one so sly that it nearly made me nervous. "You've already met her, silly. Now you've just got to win her, I suspect." I felt my stomach knot up, my cheeks flare with heat. "Don't worry Edward. You're meant for each other." I smiled weakly at her and followed her out of the store.

That must have been Bella she was talking about, but I couldn't imagine being set for one person, no matter how intriguing of a girl she was.

Alice and I went back to the house, and spent the day in the cool basement. We switched between video games and movies why mother stamped around upstairs.

"Emmett should be getting out of soccer practice soon," Alice mumbled, glancing at the clock on the wall. "That means you'll have to get dressed to go to the Swan's." I nodded, sighing heavily.

"Edward!" my mother's shrill voice called down the stair. "Come here, please!" Alice rolled her eyes at me as I jogged up the stairs.

"I'm going with your father to Seattle on his business trip. We'll be gone for two weeks, so I expect you to get Emmett to school on time, make sure he does his studies, and keep that girl out of trouble. I don't want any rumors spreading by the time I am back, understood?"

I kept myself very still, save for the nod I gave her. "Yes, mother."

"Don't forget your lessons, and I shall see you when we return." She kissed my forehead, fixed my collar which only served to irritate me further before she picked up her bag and went out the door behind my father.

"Alice," I called down the stairs. "They're gone, for two weeks." She knew as well as I did that this meant total freedom for us. I'd never seen anyone come over the stairs as fast as she did, her entire face alight and smiling.

"You've got to be kidding?!" she exclaimed. The front door opened and Emmett walked inside looking confused.

"If they're just going to Seattle why don't they ever come home. Staying out there for two weeks in a hotel seems a waste of money to me," he mumbled. Alice and I just laughed.

"It's because she's spoiled, Em. Just be glad we haven't got to listen to her whining for two weeks," Alice explained. She ran upstairs and threw me down some clothes while Emmett proceeded to tell me about his soccer practice. I changed into the dark jeans and green sweater, pulled on my sneakers and grabbed my car keys, just as he finished telling me about his game winning score.

"That's awesome, Emmett," I said, completely smiles. "I'll see you later, alright? And do not wake me up that early for a soccer game ever again." He smiled sheepishly and waved with Alice as I pulled out the driveway.

The drive to the Swan house today was completely grey, not too green like yesterday, just a dull, boring overtone of the cloudy sky reflected in everything. I was lucky it wasn't raining yet.

Of course, as soon as I pulled into their driveway there was a flash, followed almost immediately by a clap of thunder. I barely made it under their porch before the rain started pouring.

"Hello," Bella said when she answered the door. She was in another dress, a deep cobalt blue this time with a white sash tied around her slender waist. I noticed the thick woolen socks on her feet and grinned. I couldn't blame her. She noticed what I was looking at but didn't smile. Her eyes cast down to the floor and her cheeks turned a shade of pink before she stood aside to let me walk in.

"Rosalie is waiting inside for you," she said softly.

"Thank you," I said with the happiest smile I could muster. I didn't like the sad look in her eyes, so I wanted to be as polite and friendly as possible to see her smile. I watched her eyes as they danced across my face, and her lips curled at the corners, but the smile wasn't played in her eyes.

Rosalie was sitting at the piano bench, dressed in a hoodie and jeans. "Hello Rosalie," I said, sitting down next to her. She looked up at me with the same sad expression as her sister.

"Hello Mr. Masen, how are you this evening?"

"I'm well, but please call me Edward," I replied with a grin. She smiled and nodded.

"Why don't you warm up with the major scale while I look for some music for us to start on." I turned to the bookcase filled to the brim with lesson books and compositions. I sat there for a while, reading through the titles before I clued in to the fact that there were no notes coming from the piano.

I shifted and looked over my shoulder to Rosalie who was sitting, staring at the ivory keys, her hands in her lap.

"Rosalie doesn't know any musical theory or any of the notes," a beautiful voice explained from the doorway. We both turned on the bench to see Bella, dressed in a plan shirt and jeans. "I'm sorry, my Grandmother didn't specify that you'd basically be a music teacher. If it's a problem we can surely find someone else…"

"No, that's fine. Theory isn't a problem, it's pretty easy to catch on to," I said happily, giving Rosalie a wink.

We went to work for the next hour, teaching her the scales, the different notes from middle c to an octave higher. I taught her half notes, whole notes, quarter notes, rests, the whole works. Even the tricks for spaces like FACE and lines like Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge. Which, she thought was silly at first, but I could see her spelling it out in her head to make sure she was playing them right.

At six thirty Rosalie was playing several different scales, naming out the notes as she pressed them.

"Pardon me," Bella called from the door. "I've made you two something to eat. It's time for a break, I think." She smiled at her sister, and I saw the sparkle in her eye that I'd been longing to see. My heart thumped in my chest.

She carried a tray, laden with sandwiches and three glasses of milk and placed it on the coffee table. Rosalie jumped up happily and sat down on a cushion, snatching up a sandwich and taking a big bite.

I sat on a couch and Bella joined me, though she sat a safe distance away. "I didn't think supper was going to be included," I said plainly, picking up the first thing I saw.

Bella shrugged. "Grandmother didn't intend it. But, you can't expect Rose to sit there for three hours while you drill an insane amount of stuff into her head. It's not how kids work. We're going to take breaks, and we're going to wear comfortable clothes, and Grandma can do nothing about it." Rosalie snickered into her sleeve and Bella smiled widely at her again.

"So you wouldn't usually wear your dresses then?" I asked. Rosalie shook her head. "Why bother with it?"

"Grandma is all about high society living," Bella explained with a roll of her eyes. "She thinks we're in politics, that we must all appear as ladies in dresses and hats and gloves. She goes out to the country club every night to gossip with her high strung old friends."

"Sounds a lot like my mother," I muttered. Bella gave me a sympathetic look. "She's just as bad. I think she may even be arranging marriages for my brother and I." The two girls giggled, and the sound coming from Bella's mouth made my heart soar, I couldn't help the wide grin on my face.

"Rosalie, I hear my brother is in your classes," I added. She looked at me curiously, her eyebrows knit as if trying to place a face similar to mine. "Emmett," I prompted.

Her cheeks turned red. "He seems nice," she murmured. "Though today he was giving me a funny look and he nearly yelled when he tried to talk to me. Then he just ran away before I could say anything." I grinned to myself. Poor Emmett and his nerves.

After our dinner I decided to play something for the girls. Bella stayed in the room with us while Rosalie sat at the bench, watching my fingers speed across the keys before I dipped into a slower tempo. Then they glided. She seemed almost in awe when I was done.

"Will I be able to play like that soon?" she asked. I chuckled.

"Probably not too soon. You won't be able to play with two hands for a while. And even then it gets tricky." Rosalie's face looked fierce.

"I'll practice hard!" she promised.

For the last hour we reviewed what I had taught her earlier to make sure she remembered, and then I pulled out some really simple beginner's songs. The kinds that were only five bars and three notes. She slowly made her way through the page before she went back over, a little faster. We could definitely pick out common melodies.

Bella smiled at me warmly whenever I would correct Rosalie on something, or when she would turn and ask me a question. And God, was it ever hard to keep my mind focused on teaching, rather than staring at the beauty sitting next to me.


	4. Chapter Four: Party & Slumber

**Hello! No, I am not back. But, yes, I am at my mother's, therefore I could write this! I can't believe I just wrote this all in one sitting, in basically the amount of time that it takes to watch Batman Begins. I am very tired. It is very late. I am going to bed now.**

**Happy Thanksgiving to all the Canadians! If you don't like pumpkin pie, you suck a little bit. But I forgive you :)**

**Hope you have a great Turkey day! You Americans will get your turn :)**

**Hope you guys like it. It was made of me on lots of tiredness and vague memories of what was planned for this chapter. Blah.**

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**Chapter Four: Party & Slumber.**

For the rest of the week, Rosalie and I worked hard. This girl was a prodigy, too. She was excelling at the practice items I gave her, and she could play a full song with one hand. She decided she wanted to try with two once the week was up.

We were still working on remembering the names of different chords. But, I decided that she was still a child, and this much learning wasn't any fun anyway for the beginning of her summer. Once she started lessons again in the fall she'd concentrate a lot more on the different technical things.

Alice's condition was slowly progressing. She was moving into more medium shades of the darker colours she wore. Evidently, my parents' trip was allowing her to be freer, and with just Emmett and myself she was a lot happier.

The man she was waiting for still hadn't come, though.

The phone rang just as I was about to head out to the Swan's for the night. I ran back into the house, Emmett was upstairs taking a shower and Alice had her hands in the sink full of dishes.

"Hello?" I answered breathlessly.

"Edward?" My mother called. "Are you okay, what's the matter?"

"I just ran to get the phone Mom, that's all," I sighed.

"Alright then dear. You know how I asked you to go to a brunch with my friend and I?" she quipped.

"Yeah, but now you're gone away with dad so I suppose you'll have to cancel…" she laughed, a harsh, barking sound.

"No, dear! The brunch was going to be here in Seattle, so I expect you and your brother and cousin to come out for the day tomorrow and I'll introduce them to you." My heart hammered in my chest. The two hour drive to Seattle, plus the who knows how long brunch, plus the two hour drive back meant that I'd be missing my class with Rosalie, which meant that I wouldn't be able to see Bella. The thought was frightening. I'd seen this girl nearly every day, she was constantly on my mind. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to last a day without her when I knew I was supposed to be with her.

"Fine, Mother… I'll see you in a few hours," I muttered before hanging up and slumping against the wall. I sat there with my head in my hands until Alice and Emmett came back inside.

"What's the matter, Ed?" Emmett asked me, sitting down in front of me. Alice stood by my side and ran her fingers through my hair.

"Mom wants us to go out to Seattle to have brunch with her and some friends. All of us," I muttered. Alice stiffened. It was quiet for a moment and then she walked away. Emmett sighed.

"I guess I won't be playing football with the guys today," he mumbled. I nodded, smiling apologetically at him as he left to go upstairs to change into something our mother would call suitable.

I dialed the familiar number, still sitting against the wall and listened as the phone rang twice before her gorgeous voice filled my ears.

"Hello?" she asked quietly. Mrs. Swan was home so Bella was being a lot more reserved than she was when it was just her sister and I around.

"Hello Bella, it's Edward," I said simply. I could hear the smile in her voice as she replied. The thought of her smiling face made my heart race, hoping that I could make her just that little bit happy.

"Hey, Edward, how are you?" My own smile was growing at her words.

"I'm great, Bella. I was actually calling because I won't be able to make it tonight, unfortunately. My mother has decided to ruin all my plans my brother, cousin and I have and make us go out to Seattle for the day." I heard Bella's breath let out.

"Oh, I see," she mumbled, sounding thoroughly disappointed. "That's too bad. I hope you have a safe trip, though…" I smiled weakly.

"Thanks. If you could just have Rosalie practice a few of the songs we worked on yesterday, that will be fine. She shouldn't work too hard." Bella and I chatted for a few more minutes, and after she assured me that she would make sure Rosalie practiced we hung up and I dragged myself off of the floor.

Emmett came down stairs, wearing a light blue button up shirt and a pair of dark jeans. He grumpily pulled on his sneakers and headed out to my car. Alice came down soon after and I was disappointed when I saw her. She had the smoky dark eyes, and she was wearing a black sundress with a grey cardigan, back to her depressing palette, though not in such ugly clothes.

She barely looked at me and went out to the car with Emmett.

When there was only half an hour left until we arrived in Seattle, I called my mother and got directions for the café we would be dining at. I parked a little bit down the street and we quickly walked to where we saw our parents, seated outside.

"Good afternoon Mother, Father," I said, sitting down next to my father. I saw my mother's eyes scanning over our attire, frowning deeply at Alice. My cousin merely ignored her and picked up the menu after folding a napkin on her lap.

"I'm glad you got here on time," my mother said shortly. I nodded at her and picked up my own menu.

"Who is it exactly that you wanted me to meet?" I asked.

"My friend Linda Mallory and her daughter Lauren are coming. Also, Rebecca Newton and her son Michael will be here soon, Alice I expect you to be nice, it took me a while to convince them to meet you." Alice and I both froze.

"Why exactly are we meeting these people?" Alice whispered. My father cleared his throat and pulled at his tie nervously. Now I understood.

"Mother you cannot possibly be thinking of setting us up, can you?" She simply smiled at me. Alice groaned and I pressed my lips together to prevent myself from saying something totally obscene. It took only minutes for the Mallory's to arrive, and the Newton's followed soon after.

We stood to greet them. Mike kissed Alice's hand and she grimaced at me. I held out Lauren's seat for her and was absolutely disgusted as she flicked her hair out over her shoulders, smiling at me.

Immediately after our food arrived the conversation turned to the mother's telling everything they could about their child. It was like Alice and I were being sold off; we had no say in the matter. The mindless babble continued for an hour after brunch was finished and I was working on my cup of tea. I kept glancing up at Alice and she looked absolutely miserable.

Luckily, my little brother was a smart one.

"Mom," he whispered, tugging on her sleeve," I really, really don't feel well…" Her eyes widened in fright as she looked at him.

"Edward," she called, speaking to my father; "take him to the bathroom, please." I watched as a pale Emmett and my terrified father walked inside the café. There was silence at the table for a fraction of a second, then all the women began to talk

Alice pointedly ignored Mike, who then turned to talk to Lauren. Emmett and father came back a few moments later. Dad looked a little shaken up and leant down to speak with my mother. She nodded furiously, gave Emmett and quick hug and a peck on the cheek.

"Edward, you can take them home now. Emmett is quite sick; he just threw up in the bathroom. You might want to pick up some medicine on your way, maybe Gravol so that he won't get motion sickness, and keep a bag in your car just in case. Drive safely so that he can lie down, okay?" I nodded and wished everyone goodbye quickly, taking Emmett and Alice out front while I brought up the car.

Alice sat in the front with a smile while Emmett launched himself in the back, looking top notch.

"What did you do?" I asked warily, pulling away from the sidewalk and heading for the highway.

"I may have brought some creamers into the bathroom with me to fool dad into thinking that I had thrown up, so that we could go home," he said simply. "I am expecting a night in with you guys though. Movies, snacks, the whole deal." I chuckled loudly and Alice smiled brilliantly.

We sang and talked the whole hour and a half for the ride home. Emmett was impressed at my skill for shaving off a few extra minutes. I pulled up to the house and we went inside to change into some more casual clothes. Emmett pulled on a simple t shirt, and I followed suit. Alice came down the stairs wearing a light skirt that looked like it was made from a patchwork quilt, and a red tank top. This was by far the most colour I had seen on her in the longest time. I smiled warmly and brought her out to the car, taking us down to the only movie spot in town.

Alice and Emmett both picked out a movie, I graciously paid for them. After all, Emmett did get us out of a disgusting afternoon in Seattle. We walked across the street to the Thriftway because according to Emmett, a copious amount of junk food was required. He and Alice picked up a shopping cart and rode it down to the junk aisle. A smirk played on my lips. Watching them was too entertaining. It was too bad that it only happened when mother wasn't here.

I calmly walked after the two. But, just when I was about to turn into the aisle a woman turned and walked straight into me. The force brought us both stumbling to the ground. I stood up quickly and grabbed her arms, pulling her up straight.

"I am so sorry," I explained to her. "Please, forgive me, I didn't see you there."

"It's alright Edward," she smiled. "It was my fault."

"B-Bella!" I gasped. Here is what was running through my head; oh my goodness she is beautiful, she probably thinks I cancelled work for no reason because I am here and now I look like a jackass and my God she looks beautiful in that dress.

Yes. I am a winner.

"Bella I am so, so, sorry I couldn't come to work tonight. I really was in Seattle. And, I realize that it's only now a little bit past six, and I could go to the lesson now, but my brother faked sick to get us back here early, and then we were at the house for a little bit, and now they've planned an entire evening and—"

"Edward, breathe," she said calmly, placing her fingers on my lips. My God, she was so close to me. I could just reach out and pull her to me. Control your appendages, Edward, please.

"It's really, quite alright," she said softly. "My grandmother is gone away for the night, and just when she left we had an unexpected guest. My brother Jasper has moved home! Isn't that wonderful? So, the three of us are having a movie night as well, actually."

I smiled at her, I couldn't help it. The shape of her mouth, and its delicate curve into a smile, the warmth of her eyes, it was all drawing me in. And we were so close. I felt like just leaning in, and I think my body may have moved, but I snapped myself out of it.

"We should go round everybody up," I said softly, feeling like it was far too loud a sound. Someone paged a cashier and it jerked us both, that was deafeningly loud compared to the moment we'd been in. She nodded and took my hand, bringing me down the chips and soda aisle.

Standing next to the salsa and chips, Emmett was frantically stumbling over his words while Rosalie, standing calmly in a pretty red dress was watching him carefully, a small smirk playing on her lips. He really was almost yelling at her, he was that nervous.

"Hello, Rosalie," I said, snapping Emmett out of his tirade. He sighed heavily in relief as she smiled and ran forward to me. I bent down to give her a hug.

"Mister Edward! It is so good to see you! I practiced just like you asked, but now we're going to have some fun, my brother moved home!" she looked so happy, her eyes were lit up in a way that I'd rarely ever seen before.

"That's wonderful, you'll have to introduce me to him," I told her softly.

"It looks like Alice has met someone," Emmett called lightly, motioning a few feet down the aisle.

Alice's small frame was staring up at a very tall, blonde man. Their hands were both holding on to the same bag of Dill pickle chips, and they just stood still, gazing into each other's eyes. Their mouths were both slightly agape, and it took them a moment to snap out of it.

They both smiled, and very quietly Alice said; "You've kept me waiting for a long time." The man smiled, bowed his head and looked up at her with a flush in his cheeks.

"Sorry, Ma'am," he murmured, letting her take the bag of chips. Bella nudged me lightly and we walked towards them.

"Jasper, this is Edward, Rosalie's piano teacher," Bella introduced. I shook hands with him and he smiled warmly at me.

"This is my cousin, Alice," I said, motioning towards the elated girl. They both grinned at each other.

"Why don't you guys have your movie night with us?" Emmett asked timidly. Jasper looked down at him, then back at Alice and smiled.

"Ooh, that would be a great idea! What do you guys think?" she looked at Bella and I expectantly. I knew exactly what she wanted.

"Sounds like a good idea. Bella?" The brown haired girl on my side smiled at her brother, her cheeks flushed and she nodded. I'm sure everyone was cheering in their heads.

"You can all come over to our place," Bella suggested softly. Jasper nodded vigorously and took Alice's hand as they went off with the younger two to pick out more food.

"Thank you," I said to Bella as we slowly walked together towards the cash. "I'm sure Emmett will be thankful, he does have a bit of a crush on your sister." Bella laughed, the same beautiful sound I'd been longing to hear.

"Yes, and I've never seen my brother look at anyone like he has your cousin." I grinned.

"Alice has a sort of sixth sense. I think she's going to hang on to your brother, to be honest." Bella laughed again.

"That would be fine by me, she seems a lovely girl." I nodded. The four of them were standing at the cash, the ridiculous amount of junk food was being checked through and Jasper paid for it all. He and Emmett picked up all the bags and started to bring them outside while Bella and I hurried to catch up.

"I'll meet you guys and your house, alright?" Bella nodded and slipped into the seat, leaving before I could snap myself out of a daze to get into the car.

"Edward I am so ridiculously happy," Alice squealed when I began to drive. "I can't believe I found him… this is a dream come true!"

"You are the best brother ever. I can't believe you agreed to share the movie night. Rosalie looked so pretty, didn't she? Don't hug her again, okay?" Emmett was leaning between our seats. I was grinning madly. Partly because of my happy family, mostly because of the night I would share with the most beautiful girl in the world.

"You look awfully keen yourself, mister," Alice hinted, jabbing me in the ribs as we walked their steps. "You behave yourself tonight, alright?"

I nodded, feeling a small warmth flood my cheeks. Bella answered the door, in a knee length pair of sweatpants and a tank top, looking absolutely irresistible, even if she wasn't in a cute dress. My mouth may have even started to water. Alice immediately launched herself into a conversation with Bella and Emmett and I were instructed to go downstairs.

Rosalie was sitting with Jasper, staring at a big screen television. She was in pyjama's too, and Jasper had opted for a light t shirt and pyjama pants. Now I wish we'd changed.

"If you want to go with the pj theme, you can borrow some of mine," Jasper offered kindly. I smiled and nodded while Emmett and I followed him into his bedroom, also in the basement. This was probably how he dealt with living with a stiff old grandmother, he situated himself down here.

Jasper passed Emmett a pair of blue sleep pants, and myself some brown plaid ones. Emmett was big enough already to fit in them.

Out in the TV room, Bella and Alice had joined us, carrying down one load of chips and candy. They smiled at us both when they were at the base of the steps, heading up for another load. Jasper and I immediately ran after them to help.

I stood behind Bella as Jasper and Alice fought softly over who would carry their precious dill chips. I reached around her when she began to lift up a gigantic bowl of popcorn and took it from her hands.

"I'll take that," I said to her softly. "You just grab the pop and glasses, okay?" I smiled at her, and was pleased to hear her breathing pick up. I swore I saw her eyes dart to my lips.

I'd give anything to make her feel more comfortable around me, to erase the shyness she seemed to envelope herself in. Whatever her grandmother had been teaching her, it was frustrating for me.

Rosalie and Emmett already had the entire line up for the evening picked out by the time we got back downstairs, so we set in straight away.

The two youngest ones sat on the floor in a pile of blankets and pillows. Alice and Jasper sat together towards one end of the couch, while Bella and I were on the other, my head in her lap and she lazily played with her hair.

It was late by the time we even got to the third movie. Late enough for the kids to be passed out on the floor, and the four of us to be dropping asleep. I was amazed as much food was eaten as it was.

"We should go home," I mumbled, trying to sit up. Bella's arm pushed my chest down and she frowned.

"No, no," Jasper said, clearly voicing what was on both of their minds. "You guys can stay here tonight, it's fine." Without another word he picked up Alice and brought her into his room, tucking her into his bed. "I give you my vow as a gentleman that nothing will happen tonight," he said, holding up two fingers.

"Jazz," Bella began. "Are the gentleman's club and the boy scouts the same thing?" I chuckled.

"No, no," I explained. "The gentleman's club is an elite society. Only the finest like Jasper and myself can get in." Bella rolled her eyes and I stood up. Jasper began fixing a bed for Emmett on the couch and when I was done I lifted my gigantic little brother into it and tucked him in. He groaned but immediately began snoring once he was comfortable.

"Show me to her room?" I asked as I picked Rosalie up in my arms. Bella nodded and Jasper whispered good night as he started cleaning up.

I carried Rosalie over the stairs. She curled into my chest and Bella held open the door to her room for me. She walked ahead, pulling down the covers and I tucked her inside.

Bella quietly shut the door once we were in the hallway. She bowed her head, hiding behind her hair and smiled at me.

"You'll sleep with me then, down here," she muttered.

Her room was large, simply decorated. I noticed the huge bookcases were filled with old books, classics, and some new ones. She was an avid reader, that much was true from getting to know her. Bella timidly slipped off her socks and untied her hair. She looked up at me and I smiled.

"If you're uncomfortable about it, I can go sleep on the couch with Emmett," I murmured. She laughed brightly and shook her head.

"No, it's fine, I was just worried you'd be uncomfortable." I smiled at her. As if I'd ever be uncomfortable sleeping next to her.

We both crawled into bed and she turned off the lights. We talked for a few moments about how our day went. I told her of my mother's attempted set up with Lauren and Mike. Eventually my eyes grew accustomed to the dark and I could see her pale skin in the moonlight.

God, she was beautiful.

There was quietness hanging in the room for a while, but I could tell from the way she was positioned and the fact that her eyes would flicker up to me that she wasn't asleep. She could tell by the way I was staring at her that I wasn't.

"Is something wrong?" I asked her quietly. She shook with laughter.

"I'm really, really, cold," she whispered. I grinned, and reached out, pulling her closer to me. This was what I wanted all along. I held her close to my chest and kept my arms wrapped around her. She sighed deeply.

"Thank you," she whispered. I kissed her forehead and bade her goodnight. Then we were both fast asleep.

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**Review?**


	5. Chapter Five: Explosion

**Guess who's not on a hiatus anymore?**

**Guess who has her own laptop again?**

**Guess who can update all of her stories and has outlines written for some of them?**

**Guess who has new stories on the way for you?**

**Guess who still has to pass her second semester at university so you shouldn't expect an update_ every single_ day?**

**ME! Are you as excited as me? This update is 10 pages long, and goes to Iyeshana. It took me a couple of days to do, since motivation flew out the window with fanfiction down, and me being at home allergic to my entire life.**

**Hope you guys are still reading, and wishing to review!**

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**Chapter Five: Explosion**

I woke up far too early in the morning, despite the fact that it was nearing the afternoon. I slipped out of bed, making sure to wrap Bella tightly in the blankets, to keep some sort of warmth. I pulled on my clothes and made my way down the stairs to begin breakfast.

I peeked into the basement- everyone there was still fast asleep. It felt strange to walk around this house by myself. Half of the rooms on the main floor were like relics, reserved for purposes they had not seen in years. Two of them were thick with dust that you could see it in the sunlight. The others were impeccably tidy.

Bella's grandmother's room was on the ground floor, off the sitting room, but I stayed far away from that. God knows if anything was out of place I'd be murdered. Instead, I began pulling food from the cupboards and the fridge, laying it out on the island.

I started cooking up pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs and toast, hoping that everyone would find something they liked. I was whistling to myself while I flipped the last pancakes when I heard light footsteps padding towards me.

"You should have woken me up," Bella's soft voice said as she leaned into my back, peering over my shoulder. "I could have helped." I turned around to smile at her.

"It's alright, I didn't want to wake you. You looked so peaceful," I told her. Her cheeks reddened into a blush. I couldn't help but grin even more at how pretty she looked, despite just waking up.

She was wearing a pale blue summer dress and small white shoes were on her feet. She had half of her hair pinned up, the rest of it falling over her shoulders and she absentmindedly blew away her bangs.

"I'll go wake up the kids," she said nervously, playing with her fingers before sneaking another look in my eyes and spinning around to go to the basement. I pulled juice and milk from the fridge and when I shut the door I caught Rosalie on the stairs peering down at me, still dressed in her pyjama's.

"Good morning, Rose!" I said happily. She grinned at me and hopped down the last few steps, pulling herself a seat at the island. I plated her breakfast while she poured out a drink and she happily dug into it.

"Thank you very much, Mister Edward," she said with a mouthful of food.

"You're very welcome!" I replied, placing another plate of food next to her as my sleepy little brother appeared in the doorway.

"Mornin'," he grumbled, and began stuffing his face immediately. Rosalie giggled at him and I smirked as his face turned bright red and be began to eat less like an animal.

"Edward you're the best," Jasper sighed, picking up some food for himself. "Look, I know we all don't really know each other," he added softly. "But I swear I didn't mean to fall asleep in the same bed as Alice. When I put her to bed she woke up a little and we started talking. We basically both talked ourselves to sleep. I really respect her, you know?"

"Yeah," I murmured as we both turned to look at the two women who were smiling and laughing as they came over the stairs. "I do, actually."

Bella voluntarily took a seat next to me at the island. While we all carried conversation with one another I couldn't help but feel like Bella and I were in a world of our own for the most part. Our knees and elbows were in constant contact with one another. Neither of us made any motion to move them, but then again, I couldn't tell if she was as hyperaware of the contact as I was.

When breakfast was finished the kids ran off to the basement with Jasper and Alice to play video games. I loaded the dishes into the sink and began to fill it up with soapy water.

"You really don't have to do that, you know," Bella said, coming to stand next to me. I shrugged.

"I don't mind. I made the mess, I should clean it. Besides, I could use some help in the drying section," I said, tossing her a dishtowel. She laughed and shook her head at me, picking up the first dish.

"So what exactly is Jasper doing in school?" I asked her, to get rid of the silence around us.

"He's well on his way to becoming a professor in world history, actually," Bella explained. "He's working on his masters right now."

"That's interesting. What about you?" I noticed the minute way her lips turned into a frown and how her brow creased in the middle.

"I'm not in school anymore, actually," she replied softly. "I was majoring in English, to be a teacher... but when our parents died my grandmother demanded that I come home to take care of Rosalie. We moved into her house, and I've been here taking care of both of them ever since."

"When did this happen?" I asked softly, completely stunned that her grandmother would impair her education just because she was stuck in her high society mind frame.

"The beginning of last semester," she replied. "I was in my second year." I put the last dish in her hands and she looked up at me to smile. It was more like she was pushing her lips together than any signal of happiness.

"That's not right," I said simply. Bella shook her head and wouldn't meet my eyes.

"It isn't so bad. I mean, I'm sure by the time the fall semester starts we'll all be well adjusted, and then I can go back to school. It's only a few more years and then I'll be back here to teach and take care of Rose."

"So, what, your brother gets to go off and live his dreams but you have to stay here suffocating in this dusty, timeless house?" I asked, feeling my temper growing short. "It's not right, Bella. You have just as much laying ahead of you , you can't just put that on hold!"

There were tears in her eyes when she looked up at me. Her nose was red when she sniffed. "They need me, Edward. Rosalie hates herself because she was in the car when it happened, but she survived. She's absolutely terrified to drive with anybody; it's a struggle, some days to get her to go to school. My grandmother is a respectable woman. She can't deal with that much stress. She barely managed before I got here. I have to cook, clean, raise Rosalie- all for her. I owe it to her. Without her we wouldn't have anywhere to live.

"Jasper's doing it for us too. He's trying to get his degree and a job as fast as he can so that Rosalie and I can go to live with him. The only reason Rosalie was allowed to stay here was if she pulled her weight- and Rosalie's just a kid, I couldn't let her deal with all that..."

Instantly she was in my arms. I pulled her to my chest without any thought and held her closely. Her body shook with sobs, but I tried to hold her tightly, keep her safe.

I hadn't had any idea of the kind of life they were living when I agreed to teach Rosalie. But I'd always known that Bella was like Marie's personal maid. She didn't even dress the way she wanted to anymore.

"I'm going to help you," I promised. "You won't be living like this anymore." All the monotony of taking care of her family had to be tolling on her.

Emmett and Alice came up the stair within a few minutes. I had Bella laughing and smiling once again and she cleaned the tears from her face to see us to the door. Jasper snuck up to Alice on our way out and managed to ask for her phone number. I hadn't seen Alice so happy in so long, I was expecting a dramatic change in her wardrobe soon.

"Thank you for having us, Bella," I whispered to her at the door. Rosalie had kissed Emmett's cheek goodbye and then ran into the sitting room to practice the piano. My brother walked in a happy daze to the car and Alice shot him a knowing grin.

"It was our pleasure," she assured me, reaching out one hand to touch my arm. I noticed once again that her eyes fell to my mouth, and couldn't help but grin. It was hard to keep mine away from hers, admittedly.

"I'll see you tomorrow night at the lesson then," I said as a goodbye. She nodded and took a step back, her face falling slightly.

I don't know why I did it.

I must be an idiot, clearly.

Maybe I was falling hopelessly for a girl.

I didn't wave goodbye and turned around to leave, and watched her in the doorway from the rear view mirror as I drove to the corner and then turned away to face a night alone in my room, thinking about waving brown hair and gorgeous eyes and full, pink lips.

I leaned in and kissed her.

I had meant for it to hit her cheek, but as I got closer I couldn't help myself. I felt my eyes close, just as I saw hers, and kissed her on her porch.

It was simple, sweet.

It was an explosion.

* * *

The next day Emmett woke me up as he ran up and down the hallway, getting ready for school. I pushed my face farther into the pillow and kicked my blankets down to the bottom of the bed.

There was a creak from my door and when I peered up over my eyes I saw my brother and cousin looking at me sheepishly.

"What." My voice was gruff from slip.

"We need your help," Alice said frantically. I pushed myself into a sitting position.

"What's wrong?" I asked in a yawn, wiping the sleep from my eyes.

"Okay, this is going to make me sound like a baby, but I can't ask Alice for help because she's a girl," Emmett said, running to my bed side. "I want to impress Rosalie today- which shirt should I wear?"

"I cannot believe this," I said loudly, falling back into my covers.

"Edward please!" Emmett wailed, throwing himself on top of me and shoving the shirts in my face. "I really need your help!"

"Emmett! Never, _ever_ wake me up before you are gone to school anymore," I said, grabbing his arms and pulling him into a headlock. "Okay? Otherwise I'll tell Rosalie you still wet the bed when you're especially scared."

His eyes widened in horror. "I promise I won't," he said quietly. I nodded and pointed to the red shirt Alice had pointed to on the way in.

"Thank you!" He said and hurried out of the room and down the hallway. Alice stayed in the room, laughing lightly at me while I buried myself into my mattress, seeking the last remnants of sleep.

"I just wanted to let you know, that Jasper is coming by in a couple of hours. We're going out for the day," Alice said lightly.

"Have a good time," I mumbled. When she left a smile curled up on my lips at the sight of her so happy. She was wearing red today, a lighter colour than anything she'd worn so far, but it was still a long way from bright summer colours

I stayed in bed, pretending there was a possibility of falling back to sleep, until around nine. Then I decided it was hopeless and got up to shower.

When I was clothed in jeans and a plain white t shirt our doorbell rang. I stepped into the hallway on my way down the stairs to get it when Alice came barrelling down the hallway, pushing me into the wall. She ran full tilt down the stairs, all in a pair of dangerously high heels. I was impressed.

I followed her at a considerably slower pace, only reaching the second flight of stairs when she flung the door open.

"Good morning!" she said cheerfully. I looked up to see Jasper standing in the doorway, smiling brightly at her.

"Morning Edward," he called in the door after taking Alice's hand. She waved at me and then shut it quickly behind her.

It appeared as though today everyone was going to see who they wanted except for me. I'd dreamt of Bella last night, and it hadn't been anything particularly special. We'd just been grocery shopping, walking through the aisles together and talking. But it was sweet, it was real.

I picked up my car keys and headed out doors. The sun was shining brightly and there were white fluffy clouds in the sky. I slipped on my sunglasses and started down the road towards the Thriftway. There were a couple of cars in the parking lot, but when I got inside it was hard to see anybody around. Middle aged women working the cashiers stood around talking to one another while a man stocked the shelves in front of them.

I picked up a cart and began filing through each aisle, picking out everything that we needed in the house.

I was staring at pasta when I heard footsteps around me. I looked up to see the last person I expected to see today. Her brown hair was covering her face as she bent down to pick up a packet of rice.

"Hello, Bella," I found myself saying as she stood up. She looked up quickly, surprised, but then a smile found its way onto her lips. Her cheeks turned pink.

"Hello, Edward! I didn't think I'd see you until this evening," she said brightly. I grinned.

"It's very fortunate that we should see each other now, then." She nodded and we began to walk through the aisle again. My hands were nearly shaking and my heart was racing. I knew what I wanted to say to her. I just didn't know if I had the courage. I knew I didn't want to do it next to macaroni and coffee beans.

I did it anyway.

"Bella I was hoping, if you'd like to, that... I could make you dinner some time?" Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open slightly. She looked straight into my eyes and hers sparkled and she slowly closed her mouth and smiled at me.

"That would be very nice, Edward," she said softly. "Except my grandmother wouldn't want me to leave the house." My heart fell.

"I knew you'd say that," I laughed. "How about... Rosalie comes over to my place after school with Emmett, and we'll have her lesson there. You can come as a 'chaperone'. Wouldn't want her left by herself, right?" Bella's cheeks grew darker and her smile wider as she looked down.

"That sounds like it might work," she said softly. I grinned widely, sure that my face was contorted with how far my muscles were stretching.

Bella and I continued our shopping together, continuing a constant conversation. I noticed the looks we were receiving. I could tell the assumptions everyone was making. It even seemed clear to me. Bella and I acted like a couple, despite the fact that we'd known each other for only a few weeks. We knew each other well, understood each other. I knew that every time she moved I adjusted myself better around her, and I was always leaning towards her when we spoke. It was unconscious to me know, but it already seemed the right thing to do.

"I'm afraid I don't know the way to your house," Bella admitted as her groceries were being checked through.

"I could come and pick you up, if you'd like. I wouldn't mind bringing you home this evening either." She smiled warmly at me as I helped put bags back into her car.

"Alright then. I'll go home and put the groceries away and tell grandma. I'll have to call Rosalie in an hour when she's on lunch to tell her to come home with Emmett," she added. I could see her going over in her head all the things she had to do.

"Okay. I'll go home and come back for you in half an hour?" she nodded and smiling brightly at me. "Oh, wait. I just remembered Emmett has soccer after school today. Would Rosalie be okay waiting for him? I'd be picking him up, it's only an hour long."

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind. She spends just as long telling me about Emmett after school anyway," Bella laughed. It was nice to see Emmett's affections reciprocated.

I helped her pack her things into her trunk and told her I'd see her soon. And just because I couldn't help myself I swooped in and kissed her cheek. She stood there stunned while I walked to my car, an uncontrollable smile on my face.

After I'd packed away the groceries I called the school to speak with Emmett. He seemed absolutely ecstatic that Rosalie was coming over today.

"Don't try to show off in soccer, okay? Knowing you you'll probably overdo it and hurt someone."

"Don't worry, I'll play good!" he said and hung up on me quickly.

I drove out to Bella's house with a classical CD playing, the tinkling piano tones drifted through my speakers and eased my nerves. I pulled into her driveway and before I could get out of the car she was already coming to the door.

I met her at the gate and opened the door for her, helping her into her seat just as my mother taught me to do. She grinned at me and that lovely shade of pink stained her cheeks again. When I pulled out of the driveway I noticed the curtains in a window pulled back as her grandmother peered out at us.

"Well, this is it," I said as I pulled up to the house, getting out to hold open her door for her.

"It's very impressive," Bella said, admiring the ivy trellises and the lush gardens that my mother hadn't put a finger to.

"That's what my mother's all about," I murmured, taking her by the hand and bringing her through the front door. I showed her around the house, and she took it all in easily. There were several guests rooms that should have had as much dust as her grandmother's sitting rooms. My mother, however, hired maids for every other day. I knew for a fact that Bella did it all herself.

"Should we get started then?" I asked her when we were back in the kitchen. She laughed lightly.

"It's quite a while until supper will need to be ready, Edward," Bella said simply. "There's still an hour left to school, and then an hour to practice, and they probably won't be hungry by then." I felt my cheeks heat up.

"What would you like to do then?" I asked, watching as she bit her lip. My cheeks stayed as warm as they were. I could think of a few things I wanted to do, I just wasn't sure if she'd go for them straight away.

"Would you play your piano for me?" she asked softly, clutching the skirt of her dress in her hands. I smiled and nodded, reaching out to hold her hand.

Bella sat with me at my bench and I asked her what she'd like to hear.

"I don't know much," she replied. "Play whatever you'd like." I just started to play chords, and eventually I found a melody slipping through. I let it take over, to see how it would sound, to play it as long as long as it wanted to be played. When I finally finished I felt Bella's arm against mine and looked up to see her wiping at her eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked, immediately concerned. I turned towards her on the bench and she smiled, laughed lightly as she pushed the tears away.

"That was beautiful," she murmured. "I'm sorry, but I've just never heard anything so beautiful or see anyone so involved." We smiled at each other and I reached up to wipe a stray tear with my thumb. I cupped her cheek in my hand and ran my eyes over her face, memorising the way her eyebrows creased, the way her top lip was just slightly fuller than her bottom, the way her eyes sparkled when she looked into mine.

"Bella, I really like you," I found myself saying, like I was fifteen again. She smiled warmly at me, but her eyes looked sad.

"I really like you too," she whispered.

"Then why do you look so upset," I murmured, trying to find some other meaning in her eyes.

She straddled the bench and pulled herself a little closer to me. "Because I know that our families don't really like each other, and I know that because of that they would do anything to keep us from seeing each other on anything that was not strictly business. My grandmother doesn't like the thought of me being around Rosalie's practices for the sole reason that you are there, and I know that your mother—"

My lips pressed against hers hard, and they frantically moved against hers as she pulled herself into my lap, folding her hands into my hair and pulling herself closer. My hands slipped over her delicate back and pressed her closer as I felt every inch of her, the texture of the fabric. I was all too aware of the location of her zipper.

Her head moved to the side and I broke the kiss for a moment to prevent any bumping of the noses. When we went back in our mouths were open and I groaned at the feeling of our tongues. Bella's kiss became strained as she smiled at the sounds she was inducing. Then, I couldn't help but smile either. We both opened our eyes, looking at each other and smiling against each others' lips.

We both sighed heavily and then laughed. I pulled her into my arms and she rested her head on my shoulder. I just wanted to hold her close.

"I don't care about your grandmother or my parents," I told her sincerely. "All I care about is you, because for the first time in my life I feel like I've met someone who I actually care about, someone who I _want_ to be with. I've never felt like this before." I stopped and stared into her beautiful brown eyes, eyes that were sparkling and smiling at me.

Then, I felt myself warm up, my cheeks turning a dark red, I was sure. "That just sounded really cheesy..." I mumbled, realising what I'd said.

Bella giggled and reached out to hold my forearms. "It was, just a little, but I'm glad you said it. I feel the same." And then without another word we kissed.

When Rosalie and Emmett came home from school Bella's lips were swollen, to say the least. It looked like it hurt, but while we'd been baking cookies for them I couldn't keep my hands off her.

Rosalie sat down to the computer and I began cleaning and chopping up vegetables while she played through a piece. I didn't even need to correct her; she would pause for a moment, go back and play what she'd done wrong again. There were occasional times when I would have to go over rhythms with her, but overall she'd excelled brilliantly as a student.

Bella had been gently swaying her hips to the music when Rosalie began playing a more upbeat song. Emmett was in the living room with Rosalie, pretending to do homework, so I took the opportunity to dance with Bella.

When she was straining pasta I took the pot from her hand and held her closely. She giggled as we swayed back and forth, the skirts of her dress tangling with my legs. Then I turned her into a spin before she came close to me again, a hand pressed firmly on my chest. She pecked my lips chastely before going back to the supper.

The four of us sat down to a lovely supper. Bella thanked me very politely when she sat next to me for inviting us. Emmett across from me dug in straight away without any thought, issuing a giggle from Rosalie.

After supper Emmett offered to show Rosalie around the house, which included our massive entertainment centre in the basement. Scratch that, it meant only the massive entertainment centre in the basement. Bella and I put the dishes into the dishwasher and then sat down in the hammock on the porch, watching the sky turn orange over the treetops.

"It's so beautiful," she sighed with her finger twined through mine, playing along the knuckles and the webbing. I just held my hand out as she moved her around.

"Yeah, it is beautiful," I murmured, staring straight at her. I was playing with strands of her hair, lying down while she sat up. Bella looked over her shoulder at me and grinned.

"We should probably be getting home," she said softly. I could tell I was pouting, it was the first reaction I had to any thought of her leaving. I sat up and wrapped my arms around her waist, bringing my head close to hers.

"I want to take you out somewhere, just me and you," I whispered, my lips growing closer and closer to her ear.

"Okay," she murmured. She turned her head shyly towards mine and leaned up to press her lips against mine. I could hardly kiss her I was smiling so much but I held her tightly to me. We stood up and walked hand in hand into the house, calling out for Rosalie. I opened the door while the girls slipped into their shoes and was shocked to see Jasper and Alice pressed closely together in a kiss.

They both jumped away from each other and stared up at the door sheepishly. Alice giggled and took Jasper's hand, leading him inside while he grinned at his sister in passing. Bella shook her head at him.

"Don't be late!" she called out. Rosalie ran ahead of us to my car so I took the opportunity to hold onto Bella's hand as we walked up. I held open both of their doors once I unlocked them, and made sure to drive a more reasonable speed with Rosalie there.

I didn't pull into Bella's driveway but I walked her to the door. Rosalie thanked me for the lesson formally before walking inside. I half expected her to curtsy. With Bella and I alone on the porch in the dying twilight I held on to her arms and leaned in to kiss her. She met me half way, standing on the tips of her toes and it was chaste and sweet, a perfect kiss goodnight. We were both smiling broadly as she went inside and I nearly danced down the walk to my car. When I looked up I was surprised to see Marie Swan walking towards me. The expression on her face was less than impressed.

"Good evening Miss Swan," I said with a smile, nodding my head and her. She didn't say a word, just headed straight for the house.


	6. Chapter Six: Doubt

**Guess who's on summer vacation!  
ME.  
Technically I've been on summer vacation since last Saturday, but I have been having quite a time getting used to living with my parents and not in a house of a hundred girls again! So, sorry for the delay- I will start updating all of my stories again soon!**

**I made a new journal post today for you guys to check out. It's short- but it's about Clandestine!**

**There's also a poll on my profile! I've asked a couple of close people if I should just finish one story at a time, or continue to update all of them. So, now you guys can have a say.**

**Surprise, surprise guys, I _don't_ need you to pm me and remind me to update stories. If you haven't noticed I've been updating in a pattern. It goes like this; Camarilla, Clandestine, The Lighthouse and then Hot off the Presses (on Brunetteski's page). So, that's part of the reason for the poll, to get you guys to stop reminding me. I actually DO know I need to update.**

**That sounded really mean...**

**I'm sorry! But it's just hard to get through five final exams every day in a row with people making comments like that...**

**Anyway, here is a chapter! Hope you guys enjoy it!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Doubt**

I woke up feeling as comfortable as I'd ever been in my life. My bed had never been so warm and soft. I felt like my entire body melted into the mattress, and my sheets were curled around my side.

When I gained a state slightly more resembling consciousness, I realised there were sounds coming from downstairs. I tried to think of what anyone in this house was doing up at nine in the morning, and then realised that my parents' week long trip was at an end. That only meant that they were here now, to install their strict summer requirements upon my brother, Alice and I.

I pushed myself out of bed and pulled a t shirt on before I decided to go downstairs and face my mother. She was in the kitchen, looking at the clean dishes in the draining board disapprovingly, as if we'd left her house in a state.

"Good morning, Mother," I said, still standing in the doorway. She jumped and looked up at me with a smile.

"Oh, hello Edward! How have you been?" she gushed, walking closer and patting my cheeks with both hands. She pulled my head down and gave me a small kiss on my cheek before looking me over. I could tell she was looking for any signs of harm that would hinder my work in any way.

"I'm going to go back to sleep for a while," I told her. "I just wanted to come say hello."

"Don't stay in bed too long, dear. I've got a few friends coming over and I'd like you to play something quick for them, if you don't mind too much. I nodded and turned away. I collapsed back into bed the second I made it to my room.

Emmett crept into my room a couple of hours later and proceeded to throw a soccer ball at my stomach until I agreed to get up and play with him for a while. We spent ages in the backyard, laughing and running as fast as we could. Alice came out and watched us, giggling and fighting back when we tried to get her to play too.

When I finally tired Emmett out he headed inside for a shower.

"Edward, if I am not mistaken you look a bit worn out yourself!" Alice laughed as she walked to stand next to me. "Could it be you're getting too old for all of this physical exertion? I grinned and before she could tell what I was going to do I snatched her up and threw her over my shoulder.

"Put me down!" She shrieked and bellowed as I carried her into the house. I smelt awful and I was covered in grass stains. This should be enough to be considered payback. I laughed as I carried her into the house and she beat at my back furiously.

"Edward," my mother said harshly. "Put her down and go get cleaned up." I looked behind her and saw three older women and their daughters, all watching me with amused smiles. My mother was the only one who looked absolutely terrifying.

I went upstairs and cleaned up after Emmett finished in the shower. I dressed in a white button up shirt and black dress pants before I went back downstairs. All the women were sitting in the living room, facing the piano and waiting on me.

"Good afternoon, ladies," I said with a small smile. The young girls giggled and the older women shot looks at my mother. Clearly they had been talking about me. My mother beamed at me and extended a hand towards the piano bench.

"I've just been telling these ladies about how you play Edward, would you care to offer a demonstration?" I smiled stiffly, noticing how obviously the younger women were gossiping behind their hands, shooting looks in my direction after every comment.

I sat down to the piano. "Any requests?" I asked.

"Do you write, dear?" One of the older women suggested. I nodded, which was received by another chorus of giggles. I took that as my cue and rested my fingers against the ivory keys.

I didn't really know what I was going to play, but I found myself tapping out a melody that had been imprinted in my brain for quite some time. It was light hearted and calm, reminding me of a gentle lullaby. I added more full chords and found myself closing my eyes, a beautiful face pictured when they were closed.

The face that came to mind while I played was Bella's, I realised.

I smiled to myself and played around with the song a little while, trying to accurately express what I wanted to tell Bella. After a while, however, I had to wind it down to a close, and found it rather easy to do. I hoped it would be this easy to remember later on when I wished to write it down.

The women applauded me but then complained of hearing more familiar tunes, so for the rest of the afternoon I played whatever their fickle hearts desired, trying to ignore their obvious gossip, and the younger women's blatant conversations centered about me.

"It's getting late my dears," Mother said finally, after hours of sitting there and partaking in little conversation myself. "We must be getting dinner ready, so let me see you to the door." All of the women agreed, as if they actually cooked dinner at home.

"Edward come say goodbye to our guests," Mother called shrilly. I pulled on my hair in exasperation before walking out to the foyer and wishing everyone goodbye. I shook hands that were held with the intention of being kissed. I hoped that my smile was enough to make it seem like I didn't know what they wanted.

"I hope next time you won't bore us with such a strange piece at the beginning," Mother hissed when the door had closed behind them.

"You know I wrote that myself, right?" I asked her in a monotone.

"I don't care. Next time you'll play something that they know." Without another word she stomped off towards the kitchen, probably to call the cook and ask her how to fix dinner.

I glanced at the clock when I ran upstairs to change into a simple grey t shirt and jeans. It was time for me to head out to work for the evening. I couldn't help but smile.

"Edward?" Alice asked, stepping into my room. "Do you think you could take me over to see Jasper when you go out tonight?" I grinned at her. She was wearing a medium green floral dress. Her good mood was apparently still intact.

"Sure, I'm going to leave now, you ready?" She nodded with a smile and hurried down the stairs.

"Mother, we're going out," I called into the kitchen. Her head stuck out around the corner.

"Where are you going?!" she asked loudly.

"Work, remember? I'll be home in a few hours."

"Why is Alice going," she said angrily.

"She's going over to visit the Swan's," I said tiredly. "There are more people living there than Marie and Rosalie, you know." I watched as she studied us carefully, then shook it off and went back to whatever disaster she was going to cook.

I held open the door to the car while Alice got in. She grinned widely at me, no doubt thanking me for getting Mother out of her hair. She'd been waiting to see Jasper.

We drove wordlessly to the Swan's, the soft music from my CD player was all the noise we had. I pulled into the driveway and Alice hopped outside before I could finish parking the car. She ran up to the door and without even knocking Jasper had come outside and was immediately grinning at her.

"Would you like to go for a turn around the garden, Miss?" Jasper asked, laying on a bit of a southern accent. Alice giggled and linked her arm through his and began to walk through the garden.

"Hello Edward!" Rosalie greeted at the door. "How are you today?"

"I'm very well, Rosalie. Are you ready for your lesson?" Her face lit up and she smiled widely, nodding her head and racing me to the piano.

I stood behind her and watched as she easily played the songs we had last practiced. When she finished she turned to me with the biggest smile I had ever seen on her face.

"You're doing very well, Rosalie!" I said, sitting next to her. "How about we try some new music?" She nodded and I pulled out a song that would be a little bit harder for her to master, but I would be thoroughly impressed if she did.

We practiced for a couple hours, me explaining the various components of the song, and occasionally playing out parts of it for her. She caught on easily, but still had some technical things to deal with.

"Hello guys," I heard the most beautiful voice say behind me. "Time for a break, don't you think?" She set down a plate of sandwiches and Rosalie took one in her hand, eating neatly. Jasper and Alice came inside then and helped themselves to the food.

I smiled warmly at Bella and held my arms open for her. Though it hadn't been much time I had missed her sorely this morning during my torture with Mother's friends. She grinned at me and leaned in to kiss me, but sat at my side.

"Grandma suspects something," she murmured, handing me a sandwich. I watched her face carefully, trying to determine if this was upsetting her. She was silent while she leaned against my shoulder. I wrapped an arm around her and buried my face in her hair. "If she finds out, the first thing she'll do is forbid us to be around one another."

"She can't do that," I whispered. "I have to teach Rosalie, and you live here." Bella shook her head.

"She'll send me away, most likely, or fire you." My stomach plunged to my feet. That was wrong on so many levels. I wrapped my arms around Bella's waist and turned her into me, kissing her forehead. I would do anything for this girl, and the thought of her Grandmother separating us made my blood boil with anger.

"I won't let her," I whispered. She meant too much to me already. I knew that I couldn't let anything happen.

That was why when we heard the door slam shut and Marie's voice yell out "Isabella!" We immediately separated on the piano bench, sitting as far away as we could. Jasper and Alice were still glued to each other's sides, and Rosalie sat on the floor, looking up at us with a curious expression.

"In here, Grandma," Bella called out, straightening out the skirt of her dress and putting down her lunch. We all looked to the door as Marie Swan entered, dressed in her evenings finest, a flowered hat was even perched upon her head.

"You're home early," Jasper commented. Marie smiled at him and sat down on the couch next to Alice.

"I was hoping I could see Rosalie's progress," she said stiffly. "It _has_ been a couple of months, after all. I want to see if your teaching is everything your mother has boasted, Mr. Masen." I clenched my jaw tightly as Bella helped Rosalie to her feet.

My hands clenched into fists as Alice introduced herself. Marie was immediately friendly, since Alice didn't have the same last name as me, I'd imagine. Rosalie sat down in the bench and reached for the sheet music she had played at the beginning of our lesson, the song she had nearly perfected.

"No," Marie said simply. "Play the music that is already on the piano." Bella sat down nervously next to Jasper.

"Mrs. Swan, Rosalie and I just started this song today," I explained. "We've only played the first page, and it's her first time playing I think—"

"I want her to play the music that is on the piano, Mr. Masen," she said shortly, shooting me a look that dared me to defy her. I ground my teeth together again and turned to Rosalie.

"Okay, you'll do alright. Just play as much as you can, and remember what we talked about earlier, alright? It's no big deal; your Grandma knows we're still practicing this one." Rosalie nodded but I could still see the bit of doubt in her mind.

She started the song and I stood to the side, my arms crossed in front of my chest. I stole a glance at the four on the couch. Everyone but Bella was watching Rosalie with mixed emotions. Bella was looking at me with a worried look in her eyes. I smiled at her gently, but couldn't get the emotion I hoped for across.

I stared at the coffee table as Rosalie played the beginning as well as she could. When she began to struggle I closed my eyes and hoped that the first page would be done soon. It came to a point where the technical elements were gone, and she was playing the correct notes, but the melody was seriously lacking.

The music stopped abruptly.

I looked at Rosalie quickly and saw her elbows resting on the edge of the piano keys, her face buried in her hands. Her tiny shoulders were shaking and I could not believe that this impromptu recital had caused such a strong girl to cry.

Bella stood up to comfort her sister, but I sat down next to her and rubbed her back before anyone else could move.

"Hey, Rose?" I said calmly. "It's alright. I told you this one wasn't ready yet. We'll learn it, don't worry, okay?" She shrugged out of my grasp and ran from the room. We could all hear her broken sobs and her footsteps as she ran up the stairs.

"Perhaps what Rosalie needs is less gallivanting with all of you on weekends, and more of a lesson," Marie said coldly, staring me straight in the eye. I forced myself to stay in my seat, to not stand up and say everything I'd wanted to say to her since falling for her granddaughters and seeing how tormented they were.

Without another word Marie stood up and walked out the door.

We all stared where she had gone for a moment, stunned by her actions. Bella was the first one to move, running up the stairs towards her sister. Jasper followed soon after, with Alice and I close behind him.

"Rosalie, don't you listen to what she said, alright?" Bella was kneeling at Rosalie's bed, the young girl was spread out, head buried in her arms while she sobbed. Her older sister tenderly stroked her hair away from her face.

"Now listen here, baby girl," Jasper said, plopping himself next to Rose on her bed. He pulled her up into his lap and smiled at her, wiping the tears off her cheeks. "This summer, we are going to forget all about that nasty grandmother of ours, and we are going to have a ton of fun with our new friends. This summer is going to be about the five of us, _plus_ this friend Emmett of yours." Rosalie immediately giggled and a pretty pink blush painted her cheeks.

"Rosalie, we're going to practice hard, but just so we can show your grandma that you're better than she thinks," I soothed. "Your brother and sister are going to support you the whole time, and we are going to have fun this summer, alright?"

She nodded and smiled, though it wasn't as big as it could be.

Alice perked up as well and shot Rosalie the biggest grin I'd seen in a long time. "Rosalie you and I are going to do so much shopping this summer, and we're going to get your sister looking good, I promise you." I couldn't help but laugh then at Bella's horrified expression and the look of excitement on Rose's face.

"Don't worry about it kid," I said, ruffling her hair. I helped Bella stand up, her mouth still hanging open from Alice's comment. "You and I are going to have a good summer, too," I murmured, leaning in to steal a kiss.

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